I am herewith transmitting proposed legislation entitled the ``Educational Opportunity and Equity
Act of 1983.'' This bill would provide for increased diversity in educational opportunity by
providing tax relief for parents who choose to send their children to nonpublic schools.
Substantially the same bill was favorably reported by the Senate Finance Committee late in the
97th Congress. I call upon the 98th Congress to give enactment of this legislation the highest
priority.

Diversity in educational opportunity has been one of the great strengths of our Nation. It is a
foundation of our pluralistic society and essential to a Nation which places a high value on
individual freedom.

We are justly proud of our public schools which now offer a free education through the primary
and secondary school levels to all American children willing to take advantage of it. At the same
time, we must remember the important role that has been played since the beginning of our Nation
by the diverse nonpublic schools which also offer an education to American children. Now, as
they did prior to the establishment of our public school system, parents cherish their ability to
choose from a wide range of educational opportunities for their children. It is of great importance
to the continued vitality of our society that parents have a meaningful choice between public
education and the many forms of private education that are available.

It is also important that there be innovation and experimentation in education. The existence of
many private, as well as public, schools assures that new and possibly more effective teaching
approaches will not go untested. It is also important that the differing needs and demands of
students and their parents be met. Parents who, for whatever reason, are not satisfied by the
education available in their local public schools should be able to seek an education better suited
to their children elsewhere. Furthermore, the existence of a viable private alternative should
maintain educational standards and meet student needs.

As we are all aware, the cost of education, both public and private, has risen dramatically in recent
years. We all bear the burden of the rising costs of public education through State and local
taxation, directly or indirectly. But those parents who wish their children to attend nonpublic
schools must also bear the additional burden of paying private school tuition. This additional cost
has always severely limited the ability of lower income families to choose the nonpublic
educational alternative for their children. Rising costs are now putting private schools beyond the
reach of a growing number of middle-income Americans as well. If we are to provide a
meaningful choice for those for whom it is in danger of becoming an illusion, we must find a way
to lighten the ``double burden'' these families bear.

We must also bear in mind that private schools do more than offer alternative educational choices
to students and their parents. Nonpublic schools also carry a significant part of the burden of
providing primary and secondary school education in this country. If it becomes financially
impossible for many of the families now sending their children to nonpublic schools to continue to
do so, the resulting increase in public school attendance will place large and unwelcome new tax
burdens on State and local taxpayers. The cost to taxpayers of offering some tax relief to parents,
so that they can afford to keep their children in the private schools of their choice, is modest
compared to the cost of educating their children in the public schools.

Thus, in order to promote diversity in education and the freedom of individuals to take advantage
of it and to nurture the pluralism in American society which this diversity fosters, I am
transmitting today a draft bill which provides Federal tax credits for the tuition expenses of
children attending nonpublic primary or secondary schools. Starting in 1983, the Educational
Opportunity and Equity Act of 1983, if enacted, would allow a tax credit for the tuition expenses
of each student attending a private, nonprofit primary or secondary school. By 1985, when this
new tuition tax credit would be fully phased in, a credit equal to 50% of tuition expenses paid
during the year, but not to exceed $300, would be allowed for each student from a family with
adjusted gross income of up to $40,000. The tax credit would be phased down for families with
adjusted gross incomes between $40,000 and $60,000, and no credit would be available to
families with income in excess of $60,000. Because the tax credit is designed to gradually phase
out for those taxpayers making in excess of $40,000 a year, the proposal provides the greatest
assistance to these lower- and middle-income taxpayers who are most severely affected by rising
private school tuition expenses.

Today's proposal makes an important start by providing this relief where it is most necessary. I
will be proposing other legislation in the near future to address the problem of financing higher
education.

This Administration will not tolerate the use of tuition tax credits to foster racial discrimination.
Consequently, the bill contains strong provisions to ensure that no credits will be permitted for
amounts paid to schools that follow racially discriminatory policies. These provisions are identical
to those that were adopted by the Senate Finance Committee last Fall with broad bipartisan
support.

I ask that the Congress move as quickly as possible to enact this much-needed legislation.